


Just Another Day

by jadedrose



Category: NCIS, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Not Episode Related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-21
Updated: 2007-12-21
Packaged: 2019-03-02 06:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13312143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadedrose/pseuds/jadedrose
Summary: Daniel Jackson became a foster child and a ward of the McGee family at age eight. Now, thirty-four years later he has to help his foster brother prove that their father didn't commit suicide, he was murdered. To complicate things, the NID maybe involved.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Jessi, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [ MTAC](https://fanlore.org/wiki/MTAC), an archive of NCIS fanfiction which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after August 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator (and this work is still attached to the archivist account), please contact me using the e-mail address on [ the MTAC collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/mtac/profile)

"I'll have what he's having."

Timothy McGee, NCIS Special Agent, ignored the man that had just sat down beside him at the bar. Instead, he continued to stare at his almost full bottle of beer. He had only taken two sips in the hour that he had been sitting there.

The man didn't seem to mind the fact that he was being ignored. Actually, he seemed rather amused by it. "You know, I haven't seen you this quiet since that time Mrs. Elway yelled at you for staring at Jennifer Sayers instead of paying attention in English class."

How'd you...." McGee turned his head to look at the man. "Daniel?" It took him a moment but he was fairly certain that the man was Daniel Jackson, his foster brother. "You look good for a dead man." It slipped out before he could stop it.

Daniel chuckled and took a sip of his newly arrived beer. "What can I say, everybody makes mistakes." 

McGee blinked. "Twice?" How could some make the same mistake twice?

"There was considerably more instances than just two _but_ enough about me." Daniel changed the subject. "How you been, Tim?"

"I've been as good as one can be, considering. How about you?" McGee asked.

Daniel took another sip of his beer then pushed it away. He may have developed a tolerance for the bitter liquid, but he wasn't going to take any chances. "I've been good."He wasn't one for small talk, something he picked up from the ever blunt Jack O'Neill. "I was going to call but...." He trailed off and looked down at the woodgrain bar top. "How you holding up?"

McGee pushed his bottle of beer away and sighed. "Dad and I weren't ever close, Daniel. I don't really know _what_ to feel."

"That's normal." Daniel knew first hand what Tim was feeling _and_ going through. "He, uh, he leave a note?" It sounded grim but not for the situation. 

"He did." McGee acknowledged as he reached into his rumpled suit jacket and pulled out a evidence bag that contained a single piece of paper. "They released it to me yesterday, professional courtesy." He snorted at the very thought. "Nothing special about it. It's just your run of the mill suicide note."

Daniel took the bag and smoothed it out on the bar top. It took him only a few seconds to read the familiar writing of his foster father. It didn't surprise him that Tim was right. It _was_ your average, run of the mill, suicide note. "I still can't believe he's gone." He shook his head. "I would have been here sooner but I couldn't get away from work." Which was the truth. SG-1, minus Samantha Carter who had relocated to Atlantis, had been working non-stop for a month trying to help the inhabitants of a former Ori occupied world adjust to being Godless for a second time. It wasn't easy but they managed to get them on the right path with promises to check up on them from time to time until they felt ready to be on their own once again. Three days later, mission accomplished, they returned to base. That's when General Landry informed him that several inquires had been made about his whereabouts on behalf of Admiral Timothy McGee Sr's family. He left as soon as he finished the debriefing and report. "Did he seem depressed to you?" He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Was there warning signs?" He was trying to understand what had happened.

McGee downed the remainder of his beer. "I don't think he committed suicide, I think he was murdered." There, it was out in the open. 

"You think he was murdered?" Daniel's thoughts came to a screeching halt. "Why do you think that?" He skimmed over the note again, in case he missed something.

"You're not going to call me crazy?" McGee asked his eyes watering; a sign he had had enough to drink. "Or that I'm finding things where there isn't anything to find?" He sounded bitter and defeated at the same time.

Daniel waited for Tim to finish. "Tell me why you think he was murdered." He prodded, gently.

McGee took a deep breath. "He called me a couple of weeks before he....I was surprised since he _never_ calls me. _Never_! Anyways, he said these guys came to see him at his office, after hours. They had guns and threatened to....hurt....him and his family if he didn't play ball. He said he hadn't seem them before and I believed him. One of them identified himself as an Agent Sanders with the NID. I had never heard of that Agency before so I checked."

"NID?" Daniel stiffened at the mention of the once _dirty_ Agency. With Agent Barrett in charge, the NID had reformed but there was still a handful of rogue cells, that called themselves the Trust, operating within the United States that seemed to always be one step ahead of those trying to shut them down. "What did you find out about them?" His voice was calm, interested, but not overly so. The only thing that signaled that he knew what the NID was, was his stiff posture. 

"I found nothing! It's like they don't even exist! How is that possible? The government wouldn't hide an entire Agency from the people!" McGee seemed adamant. "I checked everywhere and nothing. Not one shred of evidence that the NID is real." He sounded defeated again. 

Daniel reached over and patted Tim's arm. "Is there going to be an investigation into his _apparent_ suicide?" He believed Tim, if anybody could pull this off, the Trust could.

Tim snorted. "Nope!" He looked at his foster brother. "Not officially, anyways. I won't drop this Daniel, how can I? We may not have got along but he was still my dad!" He held Daniel's eyes. "I took two weeks off. I have that long to prove that he _didn't_ commit suicide." 

"Then I'll help you." Now it was Daniel's turn to be adamant. "I won't take no for an answer, Tim." He knew the other man well enough to know he was going to argue. "I can help you. I have friends that will help."

Snapping his mouth shut, Tim eyed Daniel. "You've changed, Daniel." His voice took on a tone of fondness. "When did you grow out of your shy stage? And when did you get friends that can help in an unofficial murder investigation?"

Daniel shook his head."I can't tell you that, at least not yet. Let me just make a few calls and we can get out of here, okay?" He pulled out his cell-phone and dialed the familiar D.C. number. "Yeah, Cynthia, could I speak to General Jack O'Neill, please? Tell him it's Daniel. Yes, I'll hold." 

Tim's mouth dropped open just a bit. "Isn't General O'Neill the new head of Homeland Security?" How did his _brother_ know the General? And apparently his secretary? 

"Yup and it hates it!" Daniel said cheerfully just as he was connected to his friends office. "Yes, it's me Jack." He rolled his eyes. "How many other Daniel's do you know? Yes, we just got back. Actually, I'm in D.C." He held the phone away from his ear as it vibrated from a shouted _what?_. "I need a favor Jack. I need permission to read someone into the _project_." Again the phone was held away from his ear as an identical _what?_ echoed through the phone. "No, I'm _not_ joking. This is serious." He lowered his voice. "His name is Timothy McGee, go ahead and check him out, he's an NCIS Agent so he should be clean. I need to read him in because there's a chance that his father was killed by the NID." The phone was silent. "Yeah, we can meet you in...." He glanced at his watch. "An hour? Yes Jack, steak is fine. Bye Jack." He hung up the phone. "I hope you haven't eaten because knowing Jack, he's going to buy steaks three inches thick." 

"You _know_ General O'Neill? Homeland Security Director O'Neill?" McGee was in awe. "How? When? _Where_? Wait, steaks? We....we're going to his _house_?" He was in shock. 

Daniel nodded and tossed down a wad of bills to pay for both drinks, that he had pulled out of his pocket when he put the cell-phone away. "He doesn't bite, Tim. Well, not usually." He chuckled and patted Tim on the shoulder. "Come on, I need to clean up before we visit his Generalness. Oh and we need to stop at a pet store and buy a very big box of bones. His dog, Atlantis, is a very affectionate horse!" He was already heading out the door of the bar.

McGee stood and followed Daniel. "I think we need to talk later." He mumbled.

"I agree and we will." Daniel promised. "But after supper. I'm starved." He lead McGee to his car, a black SUV with tinted windows, it was on lone from the Pentagon, so it had government plates. Once they both were in, he started the car and headed for his hotel. The whole way there, Daniel was thinking that they picked the wrong man to kill. Because now he wasn't going to stop until they were brought to justice. 


	2. Just Another Day

An hour and a half later found Daniel and Tim in Jack's backyard enjoying a two inch thick t-bone. Daniel and Jack were talking since Tim was too nervous to join the conversation. 

McGee swallowed his last bite of steak then sat back and just _watched_ Daniel. It was weird comparing adult Daniel to child Daniel. The Daniel he knew had been shy, closed off, especially around authority figures. But he saw no signs of that child as he watched his foster brother talk and laugh with the General. He was so open and comfortable around the older man. "I....what?" He felt his face heat up at being caught day dreaming. They had been talking about Hockey, hadn't they?

"How long have you known Danny-boy?" Jack repeated his previously ignored question. Taking a a sip of his Genesee then shot Daniel an amused look. 

"Oh, um, since we were kids." McGee stumbled over his answer. He didn't know how much the General knew about Daniel's life so he didn't elaborate. If Daniel and Jack's relationship was anything like his and Gibbs, then the other man didn't know much.

Daniel wiped his mouth with his napkin before returning it to his lap. "Tim's family took me in after the accident. I stayed with them until I was sixteen and started my sophomore year of college. By then the state had emancipated me so I figured it was time to get used to being in the real world. You know, like normal college kids? Anyways, I kept in touch for awhile but I started to feel awkward. I mean, they _weren't_ my parents. No matter what they said or did to prove otherwise. So why should they care how my week was or what grade I got in Ancient Cultures? I cut off all contact with them after I refused to let them adopt me." He explained. Talking about his past had once been painful but not anymore. Not since the Gamekeeper broadcasted his most painful memory for his friends and his _residents_ to see. 

McGee choked on the sip of water he had just taken. "They wanted to adopt you?" Why hadn't he heard about this before? "Why did you refuse?" He knew Daniel had always wanted a family so why did he pass up the chance to have one?

Jack watched as shock passed over the young NCIS Agents face. He had obviously not known about the purposed and declined offer of adoption, which didn't seem odd. Most families had secrets. Lowering is voice, he decided to answer for his friend. "Daniel is fiercely loyal, something I learned first hand over the years. I imagine that he felt, stop me if I'm wrong Daniel, that by allowing another family to adopt him, he'd be betraying _his_ parents and their memories. They were only thing that was _really_ his. He did became an archeologist to follow in their footsteps steps."

"He's right." Daniel told McGee then shot his friend a look. "You don't _have_ to look _so_ smug about it." He mumbled and easily dodged and caught the napkin that had been thrown at his head. He retaliated by throwing the napkin back, hitting Jack in the side of the head.

Watching their interaction was almost hypnotizing, McGee thought as he shook his head. Starting to feel left out as the napkin battle escalated, he gathered his courage and plunged into the conversation for the first time. "How long have you known Daniel, Sir?" 

"For crying out loud! How many times do I have to ask you to call me Jack?" Jack pointed at Daniel. "It's you're fault that I now feel like I'm living in the twilight zone!" He exclaimed. "I had to beg and plead to get you to use my rank and bribe to get you to use Sir. Now I have one that _won't_ stop!" He sighed. "I work at the Pentagon kid, I have enough people there to kiss my ass. So when I'm at home, I just want to be plain old Jack O'Neill who has a cabin in Minnesota with a lake with or without fish depending on the reality. So please just call me Jack." Now that he had made his point, he was ready to answer the question. "I've known Daniel for almost twelve years and we've been friends for eleven."

McGee tilted his head to the side. "Oh? You weren't friends to start out with?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Jack doesn't like scientists. He has no time for them. So when he got stuck with me, he didn't take it very well."

"So what happened to make you two friends?" McGee wanted to know since he knew nothing about Daniel's adult life.

Jack leaned back in his chair. "He saved my life and the lives of my team. I owed him my life, the least I could do was give him my friendship." He said, seriously. 

McGee turned his head to look at Daniel, who was looking back, steadily. "I don't understand. I thought you were an archeologist?"

"I know you don't." Daniel told him, honestly. "And I am an archeologist or at least I _was_ until I was laughed out of academia." He didn't sound bitter or resentful at the revelation as he looked at Jack. "Were you able to get him cleared?"

"Took some convincing but I got him clearance. I was certain that I was going to be turned down until I mentioned your name to the IOA. Seems that the Chinese Representive has a soft spot for you." Jack sounded amused. It was a well known fact that Daniel had a way with woman, Alien or otherwise. Well, well known to everyone _except_ Daniel. He was as clueless about the effect he had on woman as the day he joined the Stargate program bound and determined to find his wife, Sha're

"Clearance? IOA? What's going on Daniel?" McGee didn't like not knowing all the facts. 

Daniel nodded. "I'll clean up out here so why don't you go ahead and take him inside and fill him in on the basics?"

Jack stood and let out a whistle. A second later a grey Great Dane puppy came running across the yard and towards the deck. "Slow down, Atlantis!" He yelled and was pleased to see the puppy heed his command and slow before bounding onto the deck. Patting the already large dog on the head, he crossed the deck and opened the patio doors that lead into the game room. "Are you waiting for a written invitation?" It wasn't clear if he was talking to Atlantis or McGee, but both stood and followed him inside. 


	3. Just Another Day

"Make yourself comfortable." Jack told McGee once they exited the game room and entered the den which also acted as an office for the very busy head of Homeworld Security. He moved behind the large antique oak desk and sat down. 

McGee took a moment to survey his new surroundings and get his bearings. It was still a little hard to believe that he was actually un the home of the Director of Homeland Security. "I know her." He stepped up to the mantle that was lined with photos. "Isn't that Doctor Samantha Carter? The Astrophysicist?" 

Jack smiled, remembering the first time he had met the spunky blonde Captain. She made it crystal clear that she was suppose to be treated like one of the guys and as such she was supposed to be addressed by her rank. But as soon as she had met one Doctor Daniel Jackson, she changed her tune. Around him, she was his equal and as such a Doctor as well. Ah, how far they all had come since that fateful day ten and a half years ago. "Yup." He answered, content in watching the younger man move from photo to photo.

"You know her?" McGee asked in awe as his eyes moved from photo to photo. "Wait a minute!" He picked one of the silver framed photos up to get a better look. Staring back at him with a shy smile on his face was the Daniel he had grown up with, long, shaggy, hair and all. "Why is Daniel in this picture and why is he wearing a uniform?" His eyes darted over the other three people in the picture. Standing beside Daniel was none other than his host, Jack O'Neill, his arms were resting on a large, deadly looking weapon. On the other side of Daniel was Doctor Samantha Carter, brilliant, mild mannered Astrophysicist. And on the other side of O'Neill was a well built black man. Leaning closer, he could just make out something gold positioned in the very center of the mans forehead. Scanning the picture again, it was clear to McGee that this was a team of sorts and the Director of Homeland Security had been the leader. But where did Daniel fit in? He was an archeologist, wasn't he? What use did the military have for someone that dedicated his life to studying the past? Looking up, he waited for the older man to answer his previously stated questions.

" _Why_ is actually classified." Jack folded his hands in front of him on the desk. "But lucky for you, you now have clearance to know the most guarded secret the United States and her allies has." He motioned to one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Have a seat, Tim, may I call you Tim? We have a lot to talk about."

McGee placed the photo back in its place then sat down. "Tim's fine and I believe we do." He sat quietly, waiting for the other man to speak. But when the silence began to stretch, he began to wonder if his questioned were going to be answered after all. "What is the most guarded secret the United States has?" 

Jack cleared his throat wishing Daniel would hurry up. He knew that his friend was giving him time to assess the young NCIS Agent, face to face. "What I'm about to tell you is classified to the upmost degree. Speaking to anybody outside the project about the project is grounds enough for imprisonment under the United States Treason Act. Is that understood?" He told him, seriously.

Paling sightly, McGee swallowed then nodded. What had he gotten himself into? Imprisonment? Treason? Oh boy. "I understand, Sir."

"Good." Jack shuffled around some papers on his desk, giving him enough time to gather his thoughts. "Area 51 is real. Little green men are actually grey. And my dog is named after Atlantis, which is an actual place." 

McGee blinked then blinked again. "Wh....huh?" Had he heard him correctly? 

Jack grinned. "Area 51 is real. The Air Force is currently using it for the research and development of alien human hybrid technology." He paused letting that much of his previous statement sink in before continuing. "Little green men are actually grey and yes they _do_ look like all the aliens in old Hollywood films; big eyes, little bodies, that sort of thing. And yes, they used to abduct people from Earth to research but they haven't done that, legally, in fifteen or twenty years. Unfortunately, they _don't_ refer to themselves as Roswell Greys." Again he paused. "And my dog was named after Atlantis, Daniel's idea, not mine. He just won't let me live it down that I was actually happy that he couldn't go. Any questions?"

"Atlantis, as in the Lost City of?" McGee just felt his world come to a screeching halt. Was General O'Neill delusional? "Alien human hybrid technology? Roswell Greys are _actually_ grey?" It was all too much for him to handle so his eyes rolled up in his head and he slumped in the chair.

Looking up, Jack raised an eyebrow when he caught sight of Daniel leaning against the doorframe. "He took it better than I had hoped." He stated, dryly.

Daniel shook his head and moved into the room to check on his brother. Kneeling down, he checked his pulse, after finding it beating steady and strong, he stood and moved over to the other chair. "If you eased people into the conversation about aliens, they wouldn't faint. At least, some of them wouldn't." 

Jack chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "I'm not one to beat around the bush, _you_ know that. But if you don't like the way I tell the story, when he wakes up, the floor is all yours." 

"Gee, thanks, Jack." Daniel rolled his eyes. The minutes began to stretch with no sign of Tim waking up. "So....you talk to Sam lately?" He had to fill the void with something while waiting. 


	4. Just Another Day

First thing McGee noticed was that his eyes were closed. The second thing was the disembodied voices that seemed to be floating around him. Deciding that it was a good idea to open his eyes wasn't his wisest decision or so he thought when a flash of bright light blinded him and a stab of pain went through his head. Groaning, he reached up and gently touched his forehead. "What happened?" He licked his dry lips.

"I imagine that the last couple of days finally caught up with you." Daniel told him. "How are you feeling?"

McGee blinked as he realized where he was. He groaned again, this time in embarrassment. Tony would have a field day if he ever found out this. "Where's General O'Neill?" Hadn't he just heard him talking to Daniel like two seconds ago? 

Daniel sat back in his chair once Tim started to regain some of his color. "Something came up at the Pentagon so he had to leave. I guess that means I get to pick up where he left off." He paused. "When you feel up to it, of course." He wasn't going to push things when his foster brother still looked a little pale and shaky. 

Taking a deep breath, McGee ran his hand through his hair. "I'm ready." He steeled himself. "Are you going to tell me that Big Foot is real?" In his mind, it was a logical question to ask.

Snorting, Daniel shook his head. "As far as I know, Big Foot does not exist." Pushing himself out of the chair, he stood and walked over to the mantle. "Whatever Jack told you is true."

McGee stood and joined Daniel. "How?"

Daniel tilted his head to the side as he pointed to one of the pictures that didn't include Jack. "Do you know where that picture was taken?" He asked, ignoring his previous question for the moment.

Taking a moment, McGee studied the picture. Nothing looked out of the ordinary except for the fact that Daniel was in uniform, smiling, and resting his arms on a weapon that the others also carried. It looked to be a machine gun of sorts. Behind them were trees, lots of trees. Squinting, he focused on the sky, startled, he looked at Daniel. "Two moons?!" He asked in disbelief. 

"There was three actually, the first had just set right before that picture was snapped." Daniel smiled at the memory. "This was taken on a planet we call PRJ-774. The inhabitants call it Rygiles. But we never refer to a planet by what the locals call it. That'd be too easy." 

McGee opened his mouth but nothing came out. All he could do was stare at his foster brother and realize that he had no idea who he really was. Gone was the little boy that he had grown up with. In his place was a complete stranger. 

Daniel felt sorry for Tim, it was a lot to take in. But it needed to be said before they could 

progress in the investigation in Timothy McGee Sr's death. "Earth had at least two Stargates at 

one time. For centuries, they lay buried, rendering them inoperative. The primary Gate was found 

by archaeologist Professor Langford on a dig in Giza, Egypt, in 1928. Another, in Antarctica, was 

inadvertently discovered by Sam and Jack. We, as in the SGC, which stands for Stargate 

Command, thought the Giza Gate was destroyed during a mission so we replaced it with the Gate 

found in Antarctica. The Giza Gate, however, was found underwater by the Russians when they 

salvaged the remains of a crashed ship. Later we were forced to blow up the second Gate, 

needless to say we ended up leasing the Russians' Stargate, our original Gate." He paused to let 

that much sink in before continuing. "The SGC's Gate was the subject of many years of fruitless 

study. Despite years of research, nobody was able to figure out how to work it, though we later 

found out that it was opened in 1945 but the experiment could not be repeated, thus stranding the 

man they sent through on some unknown planet. Professor Langford's daughter, Catherine 

Langford, an expert in Egyptology herself and for many years the leader of the research team 

studying the Stargate, contacted me and offered me a job translating artifacts related to the 

Stargate. I had just been laughed out of Academia and had nowhere else to go so I accepted her 

offer. I later figured out that constellations was the key to understanding how it worked. I 

deduced that the seven symbols on the Gate comprised an address with six coordinates and the 

point of origin. With all seven symbols you could dial the Gate. At first we thought it was a 

gateway between Earth and a planet called Abydos but after spending a year on the planet, I 

discovered it could go to millions of different worlds. So for the past ten and a half years I have 

been exploring alien worlds with my team, SG-1." 

Stumbling over to his chair, he flopped down. McGee's head was reeling. Could all of this __

_actually_ be true? Aliens? Other worlds? Stargates? And all of this was possible because of mild 

mannered Daniel Jackson? The boy who always got beat up and bullied because he was smaller 

than the others kids? Brighter than the other kids? "Are you serious?"

"I am." Daniel assured him. Moving away from the mantle, he reached down onto Jack's desk and picked up a folder. Turning around, he handed it to Tim along with a pen. "I need you to read and sign that."

McGee took the folder and flipped it open. "What is this?"

Daniel sat back down in the chair beside him. "Non-disclosure agreement. It's nothing to worry about. We've all had to sign one at one time or another." He shrugged. "It basically says that you won't tell anyone about the Stargate and if you do....you'll be charged with committing treason." 

"And all of this has to do with Dad?" McGee asked as he hesitated. 

"It does. The NID or National Intelligence Division was originally created to provide civilian 

oversight of the Stargate program, the SGC and its personnel. It _was_ a legitimate organization in 

the beginning. It's main goal was to defend Earth and in doing so certain NID members began to 

employ extreme measures that placed them in conflict with the SGC and eventually led to the 

reorganization of the agency. The NID and the SGC had major disagreements on the methods

used to acquire the technology needed to defend the planet. This led to the formation of a rogue 

group within the NID, called the Trust, whose goal was to acquire alien technology by any means 

necessary, employing tactics the SGC considered unethical. While the SGC desired technology, 

we valued the alliances we made with other races more; a method that proved too slow for the 

NID but eventually proved far more profitable. The newly reformed NID is currently run by Agent Malcolm Barrett, he's a friend." Daniel explained.

McGee looked down at folder again then quickly signed his name before he talked himself out of it. "Okay, what do we do now?" He asked as he handed the folder back to Daniel. 

Daniel took the folder and laid it back on Jack's desk. "Now we get to work." With a sly grin he touched his ear where an ear bud had been placed before Jack beamed to the Pentagon. "Odyssey, this is Daniel, think you could give us a lift to the SGC?" He lowered his hand when he got his answer. "Standing is preferable." He warned Tim as he stood and waited for the familiar Asgard transport beam to engulf them. 

Blinking, McGee pushed himself to his feet just in time to be engulfed in a bright light, the same bright light from earlier. Closing his eyes, he prayed that whatever was going on would be over soon. 

"Jackson! About time!" Cameron Mitchell uncrossed his arms and stretched, he had been waiting for his friend for what seemed like hours. Well, half an hour. "Who's your friend and what the sam hill is wrong with him?"

"Tim, you can open your eyes now." Daniel couldn't help but feel amused. His foster brother looked like he had swallowed something very sour and retched tasting. His face was scrunched up like he was trying to swallow it. "This is Agent Timothy McGee, NCIS. He's who we're helping."

"What just happened?" McGee asked as he opened one eye then the other. Finally he left his face relax. "Oh, hello." He then noticed that they weren't alone nor were they in the General's house anymore. 

Cameron grinned. "NCIS Agent, huh? Don't get many of them around here." He chuckled. "The General wants a report on the situation. All General O'Neill said was that you'd explain everything once you arrived."

Daniel shook his head. "That's Jack for yeah. Come on, Tim. You can get a tour of the place on the way to the briefing room."

McGee refused to move. "Where are we?!" He was trying not to hyperventilate.

"Whoa, calm down there." Cameron held up his hands in surrender. "You're currently under Cheyenne mountain. Odyssey gave you a lift, neat huh?" 

"I'll explain on the way, Tim." Daniel assured. "Sooner we get the briefing out of the way the sooner we can get to work on finding out what really happened with you add."

Taking a deep breath, McGee nodded. "Alright." Shakily, he followed after the other two men. They weaved their way through endless corridors, passing men and woman in along the way. He noted how both men greeted and were greeted by the passerbys. "This is an Air Force base." He said, aloud.

Cameron chuckled. "For being a friend of yours, Jackson, he sure is slow on the uptake, isn't he?" 

Daniel rolled his eyes. "He's just confused, Cameron, give him time to adjust before expecting him to function properly. "And yes, this is an Air Force Base."

"Better known as Stargate Command!" Cameron said with a flourish, arms waving and all. "You're one lucky SOB, Agent McGee. Not many outsiders get a glimpse of our world, isn't that right, Jackson?"

"Just ignore him, Tim. He's obviously been raiding my chocolate stash while I've been gone." Daniel glared at the overly excited Colonel.

Cameron shrugged. "Vala told me where it was, so it's her fault." He said in his defense. "That girl can sniff out chocolate through a solid steel bulk head."

The conversation ended as they entered the briefing room. Both men sat in their usual spots; Cameron beside Teal'c and Daniel beside Vala. Daniel then motioned for Tim to take a seat on the other side of Cameron, wanting to save him from Vala's advances. Once all was seated, they turned towards the General at the head of the table. Then Daniel began his explanation as to why Tim was there.


	5. Just Another Day

"So, you were married?" McGee broached the subject that had been weighing on his mind since he had found out, just this morning actually. 

Daniel laid down his pen and turned towards his brother, who was focused on the many books lining the bookshelves in his office. "I was." He acknowledged. "Her name was Sha're and I loved her very much."

McGee turned hearing the sadness in Daniel's voice. "What happened to her?" All Vala had said was that Daniel had been married but not anymore. He didn't know if her vague statement had been on purpose, to protect Daniel's privacy, or if she truly didn't know what happened to his wife.

"She was taken, along with her brother, Skaara, from Abydos. The last time I saw her she tried to kill me." Daniel had long since gotten over the loss of his beloved wife but that didn't mean it hurt any less. 

"What? Isn't Abydos the first planet you guys visited?" McGee didn't understand. "Back up a minute. You were married to an honest to goodness _alien_?"

Daniel shook his head. "Sha're's people, along with millions of others, were taken from Earth and transplanted on thousands of different planets. She was as human as you or me." He picked up his one and only picture of his wife and showed it to Tim.

McGee took the picture and smiled. "She's very pretty." And it was true. Who would have thought Danny Jackson would have exotic tastes in women? Surely not him.

"She was." Daniel agreed. "But sometimes I think she would have lived longer had she married one of her people instead of me."

"How _did_ you meet?" McGee asked, handing back the precious picture.

Daniel blushed and looked down at his hands. Even after all these years he still was embarrassed to tell the story of how he and Sha're met. "It was a misunderstanding between us and her people that brought us together. Before I could fully understand their traditions and customs, Sha're had been given to me as a wife. Had I declined, her family and people would have taken offense. I was uncomfortable at first but sometime during our stay I fell in love with her. So when Jack and the others returned to Earth, I chose to stay behind."

McGee sat back down in his previously vacated chair. "You said the last time you saw her, she tried to kill you?" By the tone of Daniel's voice, he could tell this story was not going to have a happy ending.

"Like I said, she was taken, made a host, along with her brother. The Goa'uld inhabiting her tried to kill me and she would have succeeded if Teal'c hadn't stopped her." Daniel paused then continued. "I left Abydos to join SG-1 to find her and in the end I did. At least now I know she is at peace." Once he finished his tale, he found himself enveloped in a hug by the eavesdropping Vala.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel." Vala tightened her arms around Daniel. "She's much better off now than when she was a host." She assured him, having been a host herself in the past. 

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" McGee asked with a raised eyebrow. He may have only been at the SGC for a day but he was already on his way to figuring out the quirks of the flagship team. 

Vala unwrapped herself from Daniel and turned to face Tim. "Yes but not initially." She hurried to defend herself. "Mitchell sent me on a very important mission. I am to tell you two lab rats that the information you requested has arrived but you're not going to like it." She looked proud of herself.

Daniel stared at Vala, long and hard, having recovered from her impromptu hug. "You were annoying him again, weren't you?"

"Why must you _always_ think the worst of me, Daniel?" Vala demanded to know as she sat herself down onto Tim's lap, using him as a chair.

"Because I know you! And because Cameron could have just called!" Daniel shot back, motioned towards the phone on the wall, then sighed having been baited by her once again. "Out!" He pointed to the door.

Vala rolled her eyes, gave Tim a peck on the cheek, then skipped out of the office, ponytails bouncing. 

McGee watched her leave then turned his smirking face to Daniel. "You like her!" He said in a sing-song voice. 

Daniel glared at his little brother. "I most certainly do _not_!" He denied, fiercely, as he pushed away from his desk and headed out of his office/lab.

Not thinking twice, McGee followed after Daniel. "So where are we heading? She didn't say where Mitchell was, did she?"

"No, she didn't." Daniel entered the elevator and inserted his access card into the slot above the buttons; this granted his access to the more restricted areas of the SGC. He pushed the correct button and watched as numbers began to move.

McGee blinked. "Then how do you know where to go?"

Daniel titled his head to the side. "I _just_ know he'll be in Sam's lab. How do I know this? Because were a team, maybe?" He didn't questions things, not really, not anymore, not after everything he had seen and done. Once the elevator arrived, her exited and lead the way to Sam's lab. "Vala said you got something we won't like?" He shot a look at the innocently looking Vala, now perched on the edge of the large lab table.

Colonel Cameron Mitchell, leader of SG-1, stopped spinning around in the chair once the rest of his team, plus one, arrived. "You betcha you're not going to like it!" He motioned towards a file folder laying in the middle of the empty lab table, Sam either packed everything away or took it with her to Atlantis. "Navy's refusing to release information, other than what's in that folder, about Admiral Timothy McGee Sr's death. Seems that they can't release information regarding an open investigation." He looked past Daniel and at Tim. 

"What?" McGee gathered up the folder and flipped through it. There wasn't much there and what was, was so badly censored that you could only make out a word or two amongst the blackened out lines of text. "I don't understand." He looked at the leader of SG-1. "When I took my leave, it was because no one would listen to me about dad. I was told in no uncertain terms that if I wanted to prove that he had been murdered, I'd have to do it myself."

"It would appear that you were lied to, Timothy McGee." Teal'c said from his spot beside Cameron. "Is someone attempting to orchestrate a cover up, Colonel Mitchell?"

"Well, I'm not sure, Teal'c. But if it sounds like a cover up, feels like a cover up, and tastes like a cover up, then I'd say that it's a cover up. Anyone else agree?" Cameron looked around at the gathered people.

"I do!" Vala raised her hand and bounced in her seat. "Definitely sounds like a cover up to me. Your people are well versed in the art of manipulation and lying, are they not?"

"Who's handling the investigation?" Daniel asked not entirely dismissing Cameron's theory because anything was possible when the rogue NID were involved.

Cameron leaned back in his chair. "Something called the NTSBCIS or something like that." He dismissed. "I can never keep all the letters straight when it comes to government Agencies. I blame my grandmother for that, taught me to spell things out, she did. Got smacked in the head when I didn't."

Daniel rolled. "Got smacked in the head a lot, did you? That....that actually explained a lot, Mitchell." 

McGee snorted at the good natured ribbing that was going on. "Do you mean NCIS?"

"Yes! That's it!" Cameron pointed at Tim and gave him a large smile. "Good work, boy. We get to keep him after this is over, Jackson? He's way smarter than Pippy over there." He used his thumb to point over his shoulder at Vala. "When Sam left, I felt the IQ of the team drop way down there. It's just you, Jackson, and Teal'c keeping us looking good in front of the other teams." 

"Why would NCIS be investigating my dads death when it was the Director that told me I'd have to investigate on my own?" McGee wondered, aloud.

Teal'c was the only one to answer. "That appears to be the question to answer, Timothy McGee."

**\---**

"Has anyone heard from McGee?" Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs asked as he strolled into his teams little section of NCIS. He sat his half empty cup of coffee onto the corner of his desk as he removed his coat and tossed it over his chair.

"Not a peep, boss." Senior Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo spoke up, from in front of the plasma, before Ziva could. "No answer at his house or cell. It's like he dropped off the face of the Earth. Maybe he's in Never Never Land?"

Gibbs finished his coffee, tossed the cup into his garbage can then proceeded to smack Tony on the back of the head. "Ziva?"

"I have walked, as well, Gibbs." Ziva moved out from around her desk and joined the two men in front of the plasma which was currently displaying a picture of Admiral Timothy McGee Sr. 

Tony couldn't resist. "The phrase is struck out, Zee-va." He corrected with an arrogant smile before turning back to the screen. "Did anyone know that McGeek was the son of an Admiral? Or that he was a junior?" 

Ziva glared at Tony but let his correction of her American slang pass. "I was unaware that he had any family besides Sarah."

"He was estranged from his father." Director Jenny Sheppard said from the stairs above where she had been observing the team for the last couple of minutes. She descended the stairs and joined them. "And he had the junior legally dropped from his name when he turned eighteen." She stared at the handsome man on the screen. It was clear that Tim got his boyish good looks from his father. "Did anybody think to call Sarah?" When nobody answered, she sighed. "Tim called her this morning, said he was staying with Daniel." She removed the mouse/pointer from Tony's hand and clicked on something, pulling up a file and a picture, before any of them could ask any questions. "Meet Daniel Jackson, Tim and Sarah's _older_ brother."


End file.
